Sand and Snow

Khaat kept draping all sorts of things over Brian's arm. He just let her. He glanced up at the clock from time to time, letting her continue to pile things up. When he sensed she was starting to tire, he called her. She came back over to him.

"Save some for the next time, Baby," he kissed her softly. "Sweetheart, we do need to get back. You're losing color in your face fast. Let me take you home."

"I am getting tired," she said.

"And you hurt."

"Yeah. A lot."

"Okay, Enough. We're going home." He took the pile of clothes to the cashier and arranged to pay for them.

Steven was not as weighed down as Brian as Cassidy had seem to stall in her shopping , he sat down watching Khaat and Brian when cassidy came over holding two pairs of trousers in alight tan color.

"ok Cassidy enough looks like Brian's taking Khaat home we should go too" he saw her nod and walked over to the counter and paying for the clothes. holding several bags on each arm he waited for Brian to leave first while Cassidy stood next to him watching also.

Cassidy had a lot of fun shopping she'd learned a lot from Khaat but she saw how pale she had become and wanted to say it was time to go but Khaat and brian decided before she could say anything, placing down the last of the clothes she nodded "yeap time to go back" she had to chuckle at how much she had bought.

By the time Brian got her back home, Khaat had so much pain she was sweating. She wasn't exactly sure where it was all coming from, but she just wanted to sit down. Brian was way ahead of her. He lowered her to the sofa and put down the packages. Then he laid his hand on Khaat's forehead. "Hm. I think you've bruised some of the bones in your ribs and in your spine. I think that's why you hurt and why it didn't show up right away. I'll draw off the pain for you, but that doesn't mean you carry on with business as usual. It means you make that list so that Steven and Cassidy can shop for your mother. Got it?" He drew off the pain for her, and she was almost stunned at how much pain he had found and had stopped for her. She hadn'trealized she had hurt that badly until it wasn't there.

"Now. Rest. I'll get the paper and pen for you," He told her. He brought a clipboard with paper and a pen and gave it to her. "List."

"Okay. I'm on it," she said, dedicating herself to the task. Brian flicked his wand, sending her packages up to the bedroom. He'd put them away for her later.

Cassidy moved to the kitchen while Steven sent her things to her room where later when she went up she would unpack. turning on the kettle she smiled thinking of that little red dress she'd bought she hoped it would not be too reveling since she would kinda be working too. The kettle boiled and she made a pot of tea and two mugs of coffee one for Brian and one for Steven.


Steven sent Cassidy's things up to her room knowing she would unpack later he moved to the window looking out, Cara walked past with her pups following and he chuckled as she told one off for lagging behind as she disappeared back into the barn. turning back into the room he sat down watching Khaat and Brian.

Khaat made her list within minutes. She knew exactly what to put on it, and it didn't take at all long to write down ideas for them to buy for her mother--size, color, store, price, etc. She had thought of everything.

Then she had added other things, like fresh flowers and some of her mothers favorite truffles from Honeydukes, and just some little nice things to add to the house as party decorations. Her decorations were going to be very simple--lots of fresh cut flowers in beautiful vases. That was it. Flowers everywhere. She knew better than to ask Michael if he intended to bake something for dessert. Michael would think of everything.

She showed her list to Brian. He read it and smiled. "Very nice," he nodded. "It seems to say it all. Oh, but you might want to add wrapping paper, ribbons and a card to that list."

"Oh, yes. That's right. I will. Thank you." She added those things quickly. "I think thats it." She removed the list from the clipboard and gave it to Cassidy. "That should do it, but you'd better take Steven. That pack mule will come in handy."

Cassidy took it and smiled as she read off each item in her head then looked towards Steven "come on then lets go" she waited for him to walk up to her. the list tucked in her pocket safe.

Steven smiled at her and moved to hold her so they could aperate away back to dyagon alley he realised he had to pick something up that he only now realised he needed , "hold your horses Cassie " he wrote down a note and slipped it into his pocket for later. His face smiling as he looked at Khaat "we'll be back in a bit , don't do anything I won't do" he said and chuckled as he aperated away with Cassidy buried into his chest.

"I don't want her doing that sort of thing!" Brian retorted as Steven left.

"You don't think I will behave?" Khaat asked.

"No. I don't think you can. Not today," he said. They both looked up at the same time, just starting to smell something wonderful from the kitchen. "What is that?"

"I dont know," Khaat replied.

"Angus? What are you cooking?" Brian called. Angus came in and grinned.

"I'm making the world's biggest lasagna," he replied. "Its going to be awesome. I hope you're hungry."

"I will be by the time its ready," Brian laughed.

"Oh, and I have a dessert," Angus said. "Just especially for you, Khaat."

"Give me a clue?"

"Not a chance," he laughed. "You'll have to wait and see."

Steven apersted to dyagon alley and Cassidy quickly moved threw every shop on the list stoping once or twice to look in an estae agents Steven followed till he found just the place he needed and looked into the window and smiled as he pushed open the door to the shop walking in he saw lots of jewlery but one caught his eye a sliver locket with a light blue stone he smiled as he held it and nodded .

"I'll take it in a nice box "he said and the man nodded with a smile , at first he took out a plain box , Steven pointed to a silver box "that one" he said smiling.

"She must be special " he said and egerly took it out placing the neclace inside it , before wraping it and tying it with a bow , steven smiled.

"She is very special and her son" he said paying for it and picking it up in its string handled bag smiling as he moved back out to meet up with cassidy who seem not to noticed the bag he held .

Khaat had dozed off and on during the afternoon, which was exactly what Brian had wanted her to do. Brian had just wanted her to rest. He had been amazed she hadn't been killed. Brian busied himself with caring for the girls while she rested.

But she didn't tell Brian that she kept getting disturbed by dreams. More dreams of blood. She didn't know what it meant, but it seemed like every time she slipped off into sleep, the visions of blood returned. It would wake her up, and she'd lay awake for a few moments and then go back to sleep, only for it to return.

Angus finally brought her a cup of her father's spiced tea. "Something on your mind?" He asked her. "Thought this would settle it."

"No, not like that," she said, "But I do appreciate the tea. It might be just the thing. My seer's powers are just working overtime."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No, I'd really rather forget it until I see more. You know, people like Sybil Trelawney were so good at what the did. And then there's me. I just get little snippets of things."

"That's why Dumbledore hired her, my dear," Angus smiled.

Cassidy and steven returned from the shopping trip Steven still hanging tight to his pakage among the others he carried as well as Cassidy "ok were back" he said softly as he knew Khaat would be resting "now where can i put these " he asked showing his arms filled with pakages to Brain and angus "preferably before ether i colaps or they fall " he said chuckling "we got everything on the list Khaat" he finally sat down in a chair.

Cassidy took t wo pakages from him and placed them on the floor "ow come on it wasn't that bad " she said and smirked as she looked at Khaat "It was worse" she grinned.